There is a massive elk population throughout the state of Colorado and whether you've been here for 20 years or 20 days, you know - or should have a pretty good idea - that Colorado is a pretty "wild" place in more ways than one.

One of my first memories of that was during my first visit to Estes Park with my son and as we were driving along HWY 36, we were stopped in traffic. But it wasn't the same type of traffic jam we were used to being in moving down from Seattle.

This was a whole different animal - figuratively and literally - as there was a whole herd of elk near and in the street.

Get our free mobile app

I snapped a quick picture out the window as one was rolling across the highway, and it's still one of my favorite pictures:

Thousands of Elk Rumble Through Northern Colorado
AJ Battalio, Townsquare Media
loading...

As crazy and as cool as I thought that was at the time - and still do - I can honestly say I've never seen anything like what was captured up at Soapstone Prairie recently when thousands of elk were seen and heard rumbling through.

Soapstone is one of my favorite spots just to get away and reconnect with nature and yourself as the peace and quiet never fails to disappoint. Neither do the views.

I can't imagine how cool this had to be to experience in person but I thought it was pretty awesome to see scrolling through my Instagram feed, so that's why I wanted to share it with you.

I love Colorado and all of the wild stuff we can see and experience.

These Are the Most Dangerous Animals in Colorado

It's no secret that Colorado is home to stunning wildlife. However, that doesn't mean we should interact with the wildlife — some animals are meant to be avoided. See the dangerous Colorado animals you should steer clear of in the gallery below.

More From 95 Rock